The subject matter described herein relates generally to wind turbines and, more particularly, to methods and systems for detecting wind turbine blade inefficiencies.
Wind turbines are generally located in rural settings suitable to capture wind energy. As wind turbine technology improves, rotor blades continue to increase in size and are designed closer to material limits of known wind turbines. As such, known wind turbines are susceptible to damage from multiple sources, including, but not limited to lightning strikes, icing, and/or fatigue loads caused by fluctuating wind conditions.
At least some known damage detection systems may sense a lightning strike or the presence of ice buildup. However, such detection systems do not monitor whether a rotor blade has been damaged by a damaging event. When a rotor blade is damaged, it operates with a decreased power-capture potential. At least some known wind turbines are configured to reduce a load impact of the imbalanced rotor blade, resulting in reduced power capture and reduced efficiency of the wind turbine.
As a result, at least one known method of inspecting for damage to a rotor blade includes visual inspection of the rotor blade surface by a human maintenance worker for cracks and similar damage. The visual inspection often includes the maintenance worker inspecting the rotor blades through binoculars from afar. Another known method of inspection includes dismantling of the rotor blades from the wind turbine and performing more advanced inspections at an inspection center. Such known methods may be time consuming, inefficient, and ineffective at identifying subsurface damage to a rotor blade.